Super, but not Sexy

Steelers Nation, we need to face some facts about our team. Our Steelers are a great team, no doubt about it. They have a strong management team, a great coach, a hugely loyal fan base, and a strong tradition. The Steelers are headed to their 8th Super Bowl, and trying to win their 7th championship. They are facing the Green Bay Packers, a well respected team and fan base with very similar qualities. Both fan bases are great tailgaters, both survive their seasons in cold, snowy weather. And Cheeseheads love a good sausage, whether it be kielbasi or bratwurst, on a grill with a good cold beer before a game just like we do. It's Title Town against the City of Champions. It's a classic old NFL match up that all NFL fans are anticipating. This Steeler team is one of the best ever. They overcame Ben's suspension, a host of injuries, and tons of referee flag throwing to get here. However, I did realized something after our team's victory over the Jets in the AFC Championship, they just aren't sexy.

Now that you are gasping and wondering what the hell I am talking about, let me explain. Sunday before last, as I watched the Steelers receive the Lamar Hunt Trophy, I was thrilled to see Franco Harris and Rockey Bleier on the stage being interviewed. I thought, "Great!! Franco and Rocky are there! How cool to make them part of this!" And it was cool to make them part of the celebration, the fans love them. But then the next day, I said to myself, "Why were they there?" This should have been about the current team. The team with two Super Bowl Rings, going for their third. Rocky and Franco got quite a bit of camera time for not even playing. Then it dawned on me. The current Steelers aren't sexy, the old Steelers of the Seventies were, and still are. On a side note, I am not talking hot girl walking down the street sexy when I state "sexy". I am not talking about physical appearances. I am talking about public appeal, just to make sure we are all on the same page.

The Steelers have an appeal problem, stemming from a few different sources. I'll address the most obvious one first, our QB, Big Ben Roethlisberger. He is one of the top QBs in the league, no doubt about it. The problem is, image wise, he just doesn't compare to the other two top QBs: Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. He doesn't have Peyton's down home charm or personality. He isn't married to a super model and have a Justin Bieber hair cut like Tom Brady. He doesn't look as graceful or even as skilled on the field as those two do, even though he is. And due to accusations of immoral activity, he doesn't get TV commercials like they do. (Yeah, I used the word "accusations". He wasn't convicted of anything. He wasn't even arrested. However, after being accused twice, in the eyes of the public, he might as well be guilty.) He also faces the same image problem that Terry Bradshaw faced, he lives in the shadow of his defense. Think about it, who has a greater personality than Terry? Talk about appeal. But Terry always played second fiddle to the Steel Curtain when it came to the identity of the Steelers. As Ben does with the current defense. He lives in their shadow. His playoff record is 10-2, only Bart Starr's is better. He has two Super Bowl Rings, but you wouldn't know it from the way the media treats him. And in all fairness, it's his own fault. Guilty or not, he put himself in this situation.

And the rest of the team doesn't fare much better. Hines Ward has a great smile and personality. He is the greatest receiver in Steelers history. But his appeal has diminished. He has fallen behind Mike Wallace as the teams leading receiver. And with new receivers Sanders and Brown on the rise, Hines is becoming an after thought. He is no longer the face of this team. In fact, that is part if the problem, nobody is. Coach Tomlin comes off as very cerebral in an interview. He is a great coach, but not a lot of pizazz there. The team's top defensive Star, Troy Polamalu, the best safety in the league, isn't very exciting off the field or in front of a camera. He comes off as shy and is soft spoken. His humility prevents him from being the face of this team. And no one else on the defense interviews very well. Harrison, Woodley, Timmons, Hampton, the list of great players goes on and on. But no one is sexy. Harrison was becoming the face of that defense, until the NFL started fining him for hits. He lays low now, and I don't blame him. Where is Joey Porter when you need him? Oh, that's right. He's in Miami.

Remember Super Bowl XL? That was a sexy team! Jerome "The Bus" Bettis was the face of that offense. They were in Detroit to win the Super Bowl and end the Bus' career in front of his home town. They were the first sixth seeded playoff team to win the Super Bowl. Hines Ward was at the pinnacle of his career. Big Ben was an up and coming super star, second year QB how hadn't locked himself in a bar restroom with a co-ed yet. Bill Cowher, with his protruding jaw and the spiddle flying out of his mouth when he yelled, was a huge part of that team's image. Hell, Coach Cowher would have put on a uniform and run out on to the field if he could have. Joey Porter was the hardest hitting linebacker in the game, an out spoken man with a brash personality. He was the face of that defense. Man, I really miss those guys.

Don't get me wrong, I love our current team. They are great. They are Champions. They are about to make NFL history. I just wish there was a little more pizazz, more flair. But of Super Bowl our teams, this one is the most lackluster. Hines arrived in Dallas wearing a cowboy outfit. And he showed up for media day in a Polamalu wig. That's a step in the right direction. And Brett Keisel has grown a Grizzly Adams beard. So they are trying.

But I still don't call it sexy. Remember this guy.

Now he was sexy!

One Win Away

One win away. The anticipation is unbearable. All of Steelers Nation is feeling it. All we have to do is beat the Jets, and we are Super Bowl bound for the 8th time. That's right, the 8th time. We lost to Dallas in 1996, although most of us would rather forget that one. Thanks Neil O'Donnell. Anyway, Steelers Nation is on edge for Sunday's game. A victory over the Jets sends the Steelers to Super Bowl XLV.

But let's not forget something, the Jets beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh in week 15 of the regular season. This game will not be easy. Jet's QB Mark Sanchez is no pushover. Everyone seems to forget that this kid is in his second year, and he is good. He looks rough at times, but he steps up in clutch situations. And Steelers fans know first hand that a second year QB can win a Super Bowl. Our boy Big Ben did it in Super Bowl XL. Sanchez went 19 of 29 for 170 yards in week 15 against the Steelers. He looked great. But something was missing that day. What was it? Let me think. Oh yeah! Troy Polamalu!

That's right, Troy wasn't playing. Young Sanchez hasn't faced the leagues greatest safety yet. I look forward to watching Polamalu terrorize the Jets second year QB.

Another aspect will be affected by Troy's return, the running game. LaDainian Tomlinson and Shonn Greene of the Jets combined for 29 carries and 89 yards in Week 15, but not this time. With Troy back, the Jets run game will be shut down.

Actually, when it comes to defense, these teams are evenly matched. In the regular season, the Steelers were second in total defense, the Jets third. The Steelers were first in rushing defense, the Jets third. No one is running the ball in this game. And I expect it to be a low scoring game. So does Vegas, the over/under is 38.5 and the Jets are getting 3.5.

On a side note, I figure the Chicago Bears must be pretty pissed off right now. They are getting 3.5 at home in a playoff game at home. They won their division, and even earned a bye in the playoffs. Getting 3.5 to a number 6 seed visiting team is just insulting. And with that, 71% of the Vegas money right now is going on Green Bay. These two teams also have great defenses. This will be a low scoring, smash mouth game. I give the edge to the Bears. I think Green Bay is over confident, and will lose to Chicago in the end.

Back to the Steelers. Big Ben will be busy in this game. Rex Ryan will throw crazy blitz schemes at him. And the Steelers half baked offensive line will fold quite a bit as usual. Just like last week against the Ravens, Ben will be forced to run out of the pocket and make plays. And unfortunately for the Jets, he is good at it. The money in Vegas is on the Steelers right now, 61%. And they should win a very close game, which makes the Jets getting 3.5 an attractive bet.

So one of two things will happen on Sunday. Either we will all be ecstatic that we are on our way to our 8th Super Bowl appearance.

Or we will all retire our Steelers jerseys for the season, and put on our Penguin Jerseys. Go Steelers, Go Pens!!!!

Smash Mouth Saturday!

In my last blog post, I posed the question "Is Steelers/Ravens the biggest rivalry in the NFL?" I think the media this week answered my question. From ESPN to Fox Sports, it is obvious that the Steelers and Ravens game on Saturday afternoon is the most anticipated game of the weekend. It's a rubber match. It's going to be a brutal game of smash mouth football, and every fan in the NFL is looking forward to it.

As biased as I am, I have to admit, this game could go either way. These teams are so evenly matched and so familiar with each other, that picking a winner is almost impossible. The Ravens and Steelers are 9-8 in their last 17 games, favoring the Steelers. Five of the past 6 regular season games were decided by 3 points, the other by 4. The home team has won 14 of the last 18 meetings. So of course, the Vegas line is Steelers -3.5. As a result, 63% of the Vegas money is flowing toward the Ravens getting 3.5. I personally wouldn't touch this game.

Joe Flacco has had success throwing the ball against the Steelers. He went 17 for 33 for 266 yards last time. The Ravens also torched corner Bryant McFadden the entire game. Something that worries me going into this game. And the Ravens will have to throw, you can't run against Pittsburgh. The Steelers held Ray Rice to 32 yards in 9 carries last time. So the Steelers suspect secondary will need to step up in this game.

Unfortunately, the Steelers didn't have much luck running the ball in the last meeting either. The Ravens held Mendenhall to 45 yards on 19 carries. The Ravens are 8th against the run and 1st against the pass (post season stats), so the Steelers receiving core will also need to have an outstanding game, which they are more than capable of doing. In the last game, Ben went 22 for 33, for 253 yards. If he can avoid being sacked, he may put up those kind of numbers again.

There will be nothing nice about this game. It will be brutal and raging, just like a good NFL rivalry should be. As corner Bryant McFadden put it, "It's like the Old West. It's like two gunfighters You are looking at two teams with the same mind set, the same kind of approach." Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs thinks the winner of this game will go to the Super Bowl. I am not sure about that. The winner is going to be really banged up, and will probably head to Foxborough to play the Patriots. Unless, of course, the Jets can pull off a miracle on Sunday.

Steelers Nation will not be on it's best behavior on Saturday, neither will the Raven's fans. And neither fan base should be. It will be a tense, nail biting, down to the last second game. The only real advantage is that one team is rested and playing at home. We all know who that is. I can't wait.